Recipe Sifter

A slow cooker Parmesan cream sauce loaded with chicken, ham, and mushrooms, spooned into flaky pastry shells. Set it and forget it for an effortless dinner that feels fancy.

Classic Italian sponge cake made with a warm egg foam, cocoa powder, and no butter at all. Light as air with a deep golden crust and tender chocolate crumb.

Treat your family to the smell of cinnamon in the morning with these scrumptious snacks.

This rich flavoursome dish originates in the fertile Punjab, a state now divided between India and Pakistan. There is nothing more important to a Punjabi man's diet than bread, and meals are accompanied by flat round cornbread rotis or rich, flaky pan-fried paratha layered with ghee (clarified butter). Rice is reserved for special occasions or for rice pudding, for the only food that makes a Punjabi feel he has eaten a proper meal is his bread! You of course, can serve this dish with plain boiled rice.

Kentucky cornmeal griddle cakes made with buttermilk, yellow cornmeal, and a touch of flour. Crispy-edged, golden pancakes with a slightly gritty bite, served with warm maple syrup.

Creamy potato leek soup simmered with celery and onion, finished with heavy cream. A simple, comforting one-pot soup with rich, velvety body.

Creamy Southwestern grilled cactus soup with nopalitos, jicama, broccoli, corn, and melted cheese in a roux-thickened broth. A bold, one-of-a-kind bowl.

Classic cocoa brownies made by beating eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy, then folding in cocoa, flour, melted margarine, and chopped pecans. Simple pantry ingredients, rich results.

Chicken paprikash with sweet Hungarian paprika, tomatoes, and a swirl of sour cream finished off the heat so it stays silky. A weeknight one-pot version of the Central European classic, served over noodles to catch the rosy sauce.

Kid-friendly chicken chili with ground chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and alphabet pasta: mild, hearty, ready in 45 minutes for picky eaters.

Boozy bundt cake soaked in an apricot-rum glaze that seeps into every crumb. A showstopper dessert that tastes fancy but starts with a box mix.

Impressive braided bread loaves filled with cinnamon apples and topped with streusel and almonds. Made with thawed frozen dough for easy preparation. The ladder shape shows off the pretty filling.

Snowball cookies made with butter, ground nuts, vanilla, and flour, then rolled in powdered sugar while warm. A classic melt-in-your-mouth holiday cookie.

Fresh autumn fruits draped in a billowy sherry sabayon sauce with whipped cream and orange zest. Cantaloupe, figs, and grapes under a cloud of custard, finished with toasted almonds. Effortlessly elegant.

BLT corn chowder puts bacon, lettuce, and tomato into a creamy potato and corn soup. Made with skim milk and Canadian bacon, it's lighter than it looks and ready in 35 minutes.

This recipe is my husband's specialty, good for any fresh fish. I prefer halibut but whatever your pleasure. Goes great with homemade mashed potatoes.